On the title track of her new album, What’s This Death, Amanda Winterhalter sings, “You don’t talk to death, you listen close.” It’s the perfect set-up for the powerhouse 7-track record, which leans in to the stories we tell...
In 1959, in the midst of an American craze for bossa nova, Brazilian director Marcel Camus made his stunning film Black Orpheus, an adaptation of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice set in the mid-century favelas of Rio...
Patti Smith’s voice is a hammer striking an anvil, her songs often come across as poetry set to a tune. In the era of fake news, Smith’s work has come into the spotlight: she has been nominated for induction...
In 2013, Seattle musician Katie Kuffel broke out as a fierce-yet-tender songwriter, with artful piano skills and a husky, blues-imbued voice. She’s also made a name for herself as a community builder, organizing the Fremont Abbey Sessions in 2016—a...
To Moon Baillie, an immigrant from Buenos Aires and the lead singer and songwriter of Seattle-band PAMPA, to be an expat is to “look at yourself, where you come from, understand it, digest it, and express it” in order...
As much as the Seattle sound is about notions of counterculture and nonconformity, the ever-present majesty of the area’s natural surroundings is embedded within it as well, offering a sense of cohesion among what is otherwise a city of...
In the era of #MeToo, a variety of voices have risen up to tell their stories of abuse. Seattle-based singer-songwriter Nora Rothman featured 26 womxn from around the world in the new video for her single “dear / david.”...
SassyBlack, a.k.a. Catherine Harris-White, has spent years making lunar-inflected R&B and sending Seattle audiences on a funky galactic journey—both as a member several Seattle-based groups, like rap duo THEESatisfaction, and now as a formidably innovative and prolific solo artist....
On “Getting My Own Place,” a new song from Seattle band Golden Idols’ Uneasy EP, lead singer Patrick Broz croons, “I need some space, and you do too/We need some time to work this whole mess through/Couples counseling or...
Seattle-based singer, songwriter, and drummer Heather Thomas has held it down on the kit since she was a kid in Puyallup, WA, playing in her church youth group band and learning percussion parts from her dad. Steadily, through writing...
Like a child’s pirouette, the new single from songwriter Lizzie Weber, “When You Look At Me,” spins gentle and dreamlike. Inspired by the early days of her relationship with her now-husband, “When You Look at Me,” is sung with...
Seattle’s Nauticult— equal parts industrial hip-hop and thrashing noise punk—was born in a moment of raw inspiration. For years, the members had known each other and even considered rapping over beats together, but they didn’t actually pull the trigger...
In Seattle, bands are known to achieve success in unconventional ways. Unlike bands in popular music towns like L.A. and Nashville, Seattle musicians are stubborn about forging their own way in order to maintain creative control, playing music that’s...
Cosmic glitter. That’s how singer Aubrey Bramble describes Golden Gardens, the band she co-founded with Gregg Neville in 2012. She’s dead on, of course. Their last album, 2016’s Reign, is one ethereal, melancholic starburst after another. Likewise, the listening experience...
Along with rock, punk, jazz and a vibrant hip hop scene, Seattle has musicians who thrive in the in-between – who have a knack for suspending themselves between styles and bring in multiple influences, highlighting Seattle’s quirkiness and creativity....
Songwriter, guitarist, and singer Jeff Tapia is a true Seattle artist. As an honest, quirky lyricist and melody-focused songwriter, Tapia carries on the traditions of true Seattle D.I.Y. culture. Along with their staunch support of other communities in the...
Brother and sister rock ‘n’ roll duo The Black Tones are all about rewriting Seattle rock history, and playing their asses off in the process. Their latest LP, Cobain and Cornbread, draws on the Seattle music and cultural aesthetic...
As you wander from Cafe Racer to SoDo punk venue to University District house show, Ings, a contemplative guitarist and songwriter with a subtle touch on the guitar, is bound to be somewhere in the mix—likely (and hopefully) sharing...
Effervescent pop-punk band Tacocat released their new single, “Grains of Salt,” on Valentine’s Day, complete with a colorful music video featuring prominent members of the Seattle drag community. “Grains of Salt” is the first single teasing their third full-length...
On Feb. 4, Seattle singer-songwriter-producer Parisalexa dropped a blistering new single, “Hothead.” The track, both defiantly relevant and subtly creative, takes the confidence Parisalexa had on display with her last two releases to new heights. “Hothead” is perhaps one...
For me, the new year signals a time to refresh, and that also goes for my music collection. This is when I dig through Bandcamp, attend shows with bands I’ve never heard of on the bill, and get recommendations...
As much as 2018 was a good year for Seattle’s established music names – shout-out to Brandi Carlile for “By The Way, I Forgive You” and its six (!) Grammy nominations – it’s been surprisingly phenomenal for fresh voices...
Summer’s here and it’s time for dance parties by the pool. Every year, we’re treated to albums built for rooftop fun, their core aesthetic made for hot days and warm nights by the light of a disco ball. Seattle’s...
Dear Carl, Why do I hate Nirvana? -The Guilty Washingtonian.
